Willem-Alexander & Máxima to sue Associated Press

TRH the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima have launched legal action against American media outlet Associated Press (AP).

The action comes after AP published several photos of the couple and their three daughters – Princesses Catharina-Amalia, Alexia and Ariane – taken at the luxury Villa La Angostura ski resort in Argentina, where the family is currently holidaying.

The RVD (Government Information Agency) sent a letter to the AP headquarters in New York last Thursday, July 30th, on behalf of the royal couple. Letters were also sent to several Dutch news outlets, including newspaper Trouw and press agency GPD, requesting that the images be removed from their websites. All Dutch outlets involved removed the “illegal” images within 24 hours.

The RVD said that the images taken were in violation of the media code installed by the royal family in 2005, which is an arrangement between the royals and the Dutch media to only photograph the Prince of Orange and his family on official occasions. In exchange, photo sessions will be arranged periodically for the media (the Wassenaar shoot is the latest).

AP has yet to remove the images from their database, stating that “In this case the member of the royal family are public figures in a ski resort outside their own country. The AP considers that it has the right to photograph them as such.” Unless the images are removed, a law suit will begin on August 14th. Follow this issue here.